I am a 31 year old math teacher at Dumbarton Middle School.
vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate pineapple or orange? Pineapple summer or fall? Fall coke or pepsi? Pepsi flip flops or converse? BOTH! thanksgiving or christmas? Thanksgiving... yum texting or calling? Texting air heads or starburst? Air heads sleep on your back or stomach? Back snooze or wide-awake? Snooze - over and over and over again
Edmodo Poll Everywhere - instead of trying to get clickers for classr Instagram- take pictures of homework problems and post - rotate which student posts which problem GeoGebra ClassDojo - classroom discipline EverNote - store notes from all classes, and does other stuff Udutu - used in 2009 - annoying to work with - maybe it's better now
Work from Class 1:
Web 2.0 is any online technology that allows one to create something "in the cloud." Before web 2.0, one would have to download or install a program onto their hard drive, in order to create something. For example, Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop are pre-web 2.0 programs, while Google Docs is a post-web 2.0 program. Web 2.0 programs also allow for online collaboration. Users can create, share, edit, and store content on an online interface. (Some content derived from Wikipedia)
How I might use a wiki page in my class
I think a wiki would be a great place to store all of my class notes, answer keys, unit reviews, and HSA study guides for Algebra 1. I've seen other teachers use wikis, some successfully and other not at all, for this purpose. The key is to make sure that the site is easy to navigate.
The problem that I see with using a wiki for students and/or parents is that the site is redundant. We have a school-based site called Edline where we post grades directly from Easy Grade Pro, as well as post any of the materials that I first mentioned. Parents especially get confused when you have information on more than one site. If I used it as a means to share lessons with other teachers in my department, I think the wiki would be more successful. We have a math department folder on the school server, but it is almost impossible to find anything in it. There are too many folders, sub folders, and sub sub folders. With a well designed layout, the wiki could make all of that information more accessible, allow us to share lessons, and/or activity ideas. Another idea is to use a wiki as a location for all of the internet math help sources that I find. Students could access general help pages, as well as content specific pages. I could tailor my homework assignments to include viewing a specific resource found on the wiki.
Todays Meet Lesson Idea
Having just read a post about Todays Meet on Teaching Generation Now, I like the idea of using the tool for backchannelling (allowing my students to chat while involved in another activity). I always suggest to my students who are struggling in class to watch KhanAcademy. I would like to demo with my kids how to actively watch and learn from a Khan lesson. This skill is transitive to any online math resource.
Pick a video relevant to content being learned in class or pick a video of something that the students have never learned about (make sure topic is attainable to students)
Set up multiple Todays Meet rooms - label each room Sharbonda - Group A, Sharbonda - Group B, etc. Per-assign 4 to 5 students to each room
I don't want the rooms to be to big for the first time using the tool. Comments would get lost.
Explain to students that they will use the tool to ask questions, make comments, and to generally discuss the topic from the Khan video. Students should know ahead of time that their comments will be recorded and sent to me to review.
Watch video, allow students to backchannel.
Send transcripts to teacher.
Come together as a class to discuss any interesting comments from the backchannelling session.
Todays Meet Actual Lesson (adaptation of above idea)
Today, I gave a presentation on introducing conic sections to my GT Algebra 2 class. We watched a video demonstrating how conic sections are formed (Conics Video). Then, we watched a video of real-world examples of conic sections (Conic Land). Finally, we watched a video about La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. Throughout the videos and classroom discussions, students were asked to backchannel through TodaysMeet, asking each other questions and dicussing/identifying real-world examples of conics.
Overall, this was a poor use of Todays Meet in my math class.
Flying completely off the cuff, due to lack of preparation on my part.
Found out students could not access Todays Meet - blocked by BCPS (spent 20 minutes getting students logged on and troubleshooting)
Only a few students with cell phones met in a room to chat
Because this was a test class, I let them use fake names
Students did not follow directions about discussion, although my directions were kind of lame and did not provide any motivation to complete
I don't feel too bad about this as a first time around. Students were getting comfortable with the tool and playing around with it. Next time, they will have more specific directions and tasks to complete and the novelty of the tool will have worn off.
Put your course content into a word cloud to create a word cloud of what will be taught all year. This could my entire course outline used at the beginning of a course.
Create word clouds using geometric shapes with vocabulary words to fit in those shapes. Since Wordle cannot do this you will need to use Tagul or Tagxedo.
Introduce or review key vocabulary from the unit or chapter.
Students create cloud to describe themselves and use as avatar for class blog
Work from Class 3:
Hyperbolas with Bloom’s Taxonomy
Remembering
Label the parts of the hyperbola.
Understanding
How do the parts of a hyperbola differ from the parts of an ellipse?
Applying
Given the coordinates of the vertices and the foci, find the equation of the hyperbola.
Analyzing
Explain why and how you can use the Pythagorean Theorem when finding the lengths of the transverse axis, conjugate axis, and the location of the foci.
Evaluating
Given the hyperbolic equation
Remembering
Label the parts of the hyperbola.
Understanding
How do the parts of a hyperbola differ from the parts of an ellipse?
Applying
Given the coordinates of the vertices and the foci, find the equation of the hyperbola.
Analyzing
Explain why and how you can use the Pythagorean Theorem when finding the lengths of the transverse axis, conjugate axis, and the location of the foci.
Evaluating
Given the hyperbolic equation
, describe how you would change the equation to make the hyperbola skinnier.
Creating
Find the equation of a hyperbola that has a transverse axis of 10 units and passes through the point (4, 6).
Behavior FormResults
Using this rubric as a base. This form was way to cumbersome and time consuming to be effective for everyday use. I updated it below and will publish results.
100 Meter Dash
The graph in the video is "assembled using runner's average speeds." This lesson will be about how to find the average rate of change. Students will compile a table of values containing their test scores (y) from each test/quiz since the beginning of the year (labeled 1 thru ? (x)). Students will find their average test score, then as a class, we will compile all of the average scores into an excel sheet. Students will take the data and create at least 2 different types of graphs displaying the data. Discuss which graphs are more effective for comparing average test scores.
100 Meter Dash Freestyle
Using data from wikipedia have students create a scatter plot on graphing calculator. Find line of best fit. Use this to predict if the 45 second barrier really might be broken in 12-16 years as the narrator predicts.
Long Jump
Scale Factors. Using this video as a motivation, discuss with students why the author of the video included an overlay of the basketball court. Football fields are also commonly used to describe distances. If 1 football field = 120 yards from goal post to goal post, find distances to popular places/cities/countries/planets using the football field conversion.
History's 10 Most Legendary Uncracked Codes
Use this video to introduce a lesson on using matrices for cryptography (Algebra 2). Have the class come up with a phrase to cypher. Determine a key for alpha to numeric translation. Create a cypher matrix (simple 2x2), cypher text using matrix. Continue to teach how to decipher using the inverse of the cypher matrix.
Death to Pennies
Motivation for lesson on direct variation (y=ax). Background assignment - have students research the currency and exchange rate with the US for New Zealand, Australia, Finland, and Netherlands (assign certain students to look up certain countries). Watch video. Discuss personal uses and/or frustrations with the penny. Teach how to use a direct variation equation to exchange US dollar to other currency (use any other popular currency but not one assigned). Group students based on country assigned. Have students exchange US dollar to their countries currency. Based on that countries policies, find out how much money students would lose because of abolition of penny. Do the activity in reverse. Would we gain for lose money by this exchange?
Day Light Savings Explained
Watch first 3:08 minutes of video. Have philosophical argument about whether or not DLS actually saves money. Have students determine what electricity their household might use on a typical beautiful 85 degree day in the end of June (after school is out). Identify 5-7 items that will be functioning in the house, using electricity, and the time span that it would be on. Research how much energy that item uses. Find out how much that would cost using a standard BGE pricing (possibly discuss other fees, if time allows). Students will figure out how much it would cost for one day of electricity using their chosen items/time. Students will then pick a side of the argument (saves or doesn't) to debate in class. After debate, have students finish watching the video. Write a reflection on class blog.
Pros/Cons of each:
Initially, I must say the voices of some of the teachers on LZ can be distracting (ie accents, speed).
The learnzillion lessons might be better than my own! But I blame that on my unfamiliarity with the new common core. I do like how LZ organizes its lessons by CCSS, so I can easily match them up to what I'm currently doing. The lessons on LZ include examples, key questions, possible learner mistakes, differentiation, and practice problems - what more could you ask for? I do wish it was more intuitive when figuring out how to use this for a class. I like their blog that lists ways to use LZ, but the whole "quickcode" thing is weird. Maybe I just need to spend more time on it. I also like that you can assign practice problems and quizzes; it is easy to see which students have completed the assignments as well.
I like that KA uses pretty much the same guy as the instructor, but that could be an issue if students don't like his rhetoric for some reason. I like that both sites allow you to create classes and keep track of what students are completing.
KA is definitely more complicated than LZ. All the awards and different things are overwhelming; it's not correlated to CCSS. For upper level classes, I think KA is more engaging and relevant. The teacher delves deep into complicated topics. For lower level classes, its LZ all the way.
Sam Sharbonda • ssharbonda@gmail.com
I am a 31 year old math teacher at Dumbarton Middle School.
vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate
pineapple or orange? Pineapple
summer or fall? Fall
coke or pepsi? Pepsi
flip flops or converse? BOTH!
thanksgiving or christmas? Thanksgiving... yum
texting or calling? Texting
air heads or starburst? Air heads
sleep on your back or stomach? Back
snooze or wide-awake? Snooze - over and over and over again
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
air umbrella
FINAL PROJECT:
12 May Homework
14 May Homework
Student Reflection Survey
Links to Mobile Apps:
Free Graphing Calculator
Lyne
Fast Fractal
Word Salad
Mathematics with pocketCAS pro
Math Animations
Explain Everything - make and record lessons/presentations. connects with dropbox and evernote
Possible Web 2.0 Tools for Project:
Edmodo
Poll Everywhere - instead of trying to get clickers for classr
Instagram- take pictures of homework problems and post - rotate which student posts which problem
GeoGebra
ClassDojo - classroom discipline
EverNote - store notes from all classes, and does other stuff
Udutu - used in 2009 - annoying to work with - maybe it's better now
Work from Class 1:
Web 2.0 is any online technology that allows one to create something "in the cloud." Before web 2.0, one would have to download or install a program onto their hard drive, in order to create something. For example, Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop are pre-web 2.0 programs, while Google Docs is a post-web 2.0 program. Web 2.0 programs also allow for online collaboration. Users can create, share, edit, and store content on an online interface. (Some content derived from Wikipedia)
Identify 5 web 2.0 tools for Education
GeoGebra
Edmodo
Khan Academy
Graphing Calculator
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
Google - Maps, Docs, Blogger, Calendar, ETC!
My Learning Style
How I might use a wiki page in my class
I think a wiki would be a great place to store all of my class notes, answer keys, unit reviews, and HSA study guides for Algebra 1. I've seen other teachers use wikis, some successfully and other not at all, for this purpose. The key is to make sure that the site is easy to navigate.
The problem that I see with using a wiki for students and/or parents is that the site is redundant. We have a school-based site called Edline where we post grades directly from Easy Grade Pro, as well as post any of the materials that I first mentioned. Parents especially get confused when you have information on more than one site. If I used it as a means to share lessons with other teachers in my department, I think the wiki would be more successful. We have a math department folder on the school server, but it is almost impossible to find anything in it. There are too many folders, sub folders, and sub sub folders. With a well designed layout, the wiki could make all of that information more accessible, allow us to share lessons, and/or activity ideas. Another idea is to use a wiki as a location for all of the internet math help sources that I find. Students could access general help pages, as well as content specific pages. I could tailor my homework assignments to include viewing a specific resource found on the wiki.
Todays Meet Lesson Idea
Having just read a post about Todays Meet on Teaching Generation Now, I like the idea of using the tool for backchannelling (allowing my students to chat while involved in another activity). I always suggest to my students who are struggling in class to watch KhanAcademy. I would like to demo with my kids how to actively watch and learn from a Khan lesson. This skill is transitive to any online math resource.
Todays Meet Actual Lesson (adaptation of above idea)
Today, I gave a presentation on introducing conic sections to my GT Algebra 2 class. We watched a video demonstrating how conic sections are formed (Conics Video). Then, we watched a video of real-world examples of conic sections (Conic Land). Finally, we watched a video about La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. Throughout the videos and classroom discussions, students were asked to backchannel through TodaysMeet, asking each other questions and dicussing/identifying real-world examples of conics.
Overall, this was a poor use of Todays Meet in my math class.
Results Class 1:
- Flying completely off the cuff, due to lack of preparation on my part.
- Found out students could not access Todays Meet - blocked by BCPS (spent 20 minutes getting students logged on and troubleshooting)
- Only a few students with cell phones met in a room to chat
- Because this was a test class, I let them use fake names
- Students did not follow directions about discussion, although my directions were kind of lame and did not provide any motivation to complete
- I don't feel too bad about this as a first time around. Students were getting comfortable with the tool and playing around with it. Next time, they will have more specific directions and tasks to complete and the novelty of the tool will have worn off.
Results Class 2:Work from Class 2:
Fibonacci Word Cloud
Tagxedo //check out later
Standard of Mathematical Practice #1
Math Journal Prompts
Colorado State Ideas Pg 6
59 Writing Prompts for Math
Algebra Writing Prompts
Pinterest Math Journals
My Class Blog
Word Cloud Ideas
Work from Class 3:
Fibonacci Sequence Glogster
Work from Class 4:
SAMR Model Presentation
PS - Thx for your help! Sometimes you just need someone to state the obvious ;)
Work from Class 5:
Class Practice Form
Behavior Form Results
Using this rubric as a base. This form was way to cumbersome and time consuming to be effective for everyday use. I updated it below and will publish results.
Revised Participation Form Results Spreadsheet Results Summary
Work from Class 6:
100 Meter Dash
The graph in the video is "assembled using runner's average speeds." This lesson will be about how to find the average rate of change. Students will compile a table of values containing their test scores (y) from each test/quiz since the beginning of the year (labeled 1 thru ? (x)). Students will find their average test score, then as a class, we will compile all of the average scores into an excel sheet. Students will take the data and create at least 2 different types of graphs displaying the data. Discuss which graphs are more effective for comparing average test scores.
100 Meter Dash Freestyle
Using data from wikipedia have students create a scatter plot on graphing calculator. Find line of best fit. Use this to predict if the 45 second barrier really might be broken in 12-16 years as the narrator predicts.
Long Jump
Scale Factors. Using this video as a motivation, discuss with students why the author of the video included an overlay of the basketball court. Football fields are also commonly used to describe distances. If 1 football field = 120 yards from goal post to goal post, find distances to popular places/cities/countries/planets using the football field conversion.
History's 10 Most Legendary Uncracked Codes
Use this video to introduce a lesson on using matrices for cryptography (Algebra 2). Have the class come up with a phrase to cypher. Determine a key for alpha to numeric translation. Create a cypher matrix (simple 2x2), cypher text using matrix. Continue to teach how to decipher using the inverse of the cypher matrix.
Death to Pennies
Motivation for lesson on direct variation (y=ax). Background assignment - have students research the currency and exchange rate with the US for New Zealand, Australia, Finland, and Netherlands (assign certain students to look up certain countries). Watch video. Discuss personal uses and/or frustrations with the penny. Teach how to use a direct variation equation to exchange US dollar to other currency (use any other popular currency but not one assigned). Group students based on country assigned. Have students exchange US dollar to their countries currency. Based on that countries policies, find out how much money students would lose because of abolition of penny. Do the activity in reverse. Would we gain for lose money by this exchange?
Day Light Savings Explained
Watch first 3:08 minutes of video. Have philosophical argument about whether or not DLS actually saves money. Have students determine what electricity their household might use on a typical beautiful 85 degree day in the end of June (after school is out). Identify 5-7 items that will be functioning in the house, using electricity, and the time span that it would be on. Research how much energy that item uses. Find out how much that would cost using a standard BGE pricing (possibly discuss other fees, if time allows). Students will figure out how much it would cost for one day of electricity using their chosen items/time. Students will then pick a side of the argument (saves or doesn't) to debate in class. After debate, have students finish watching the video. Write a reflection on class blog.
Learnzillion Lessons that I like:
Application of quadratic function transformations
All the videos about exponent rules
Understand the number i
Khan Academy Lessons that I like:
The beauty of Algebra
Modern Cryptography
Classifying vectors and quantities example
Pros/Cons of each:
Initially, I must say the voices of some of the teachers on LZ can be distracting (ie accents, speed).
The learnzillion lessons might be better than my own! But I blame that on my unfamiliarity with the new common core. I do like how LZ organizes its lessons by CCSS, so I can easily match them up to what I'm currently doing. The lessons on LZ include examples, key questions, possible learner mistakes, differentiation, and practice problems - what more could you ask for? I do wish it was more intuitive when figuring out how to use this for a class. I like their blog that lists ways to use LZ, but the whole "quickcode" thing is weird. Maybe I just need to spend more time on it. I also like that you can assign practice problems and quizzes; it is easy to see which students have completed the assignments as well.
I like that KA uses pretty much the same guy as the instructor, but that could be an issue if students don't like his rhetoric for some reason. I like that both sites allow you to create classes and keep track of what students are completing.
KA is definitely more complicated than LZ. All the awards and different things are overwhelming; it's not correlated to CCSS. For upper level classes, I think KA is more engaging and relevant. The teacher delves deep into complicated topics. For lower level classes, its LZ all the way.
Work from Class 7:
Text 2 Mind Map:
Popples Popplet
Padlet
Work from Class 8:
Show Me - Real Roots Example
Work from Class 9:
PollEverywhere #1
PollEverywhere #2